The educational landscape in the twenty-first century has undergone profound transformations, especially in the ways that educators approach pedagogy, curriculum design, and professional development. Among the most widely embraced frameworks for ongoing professional growth is the professional learning community, or PLC. At its best, the PLC provides a space for collaboration, reflection, and shared responsibility for student success. It shifts the culture of schools away from isolation and into collective inquiry, where educators jointly analyze data, explore new strategies, and refine their practices to improve learning outcomes. However, while the theory behind PLCs is compelling, the reality in many schools is that they often devolve into compliance-driven meetings with limited impact on professional practice or student learning. One promising way to address this gap is through the integration of school librarians into PLCs. Librarians, with their cross-disciplinary expertise in information literacy, inquiry, and technology, are uniquely positioned to revitalize PLCs and help them function as true communities of practice. This paper explores the theory and practice of PLCs, the challenges they face, the potential contributions of school librarians, and concrete examples of effective collaborations that demonstrate how librarians and teachers working together can transform PLCs into vibrant engines of educational improvement.
The foundation of PLCs is rooted in the recognition that teacher isolation undermines student success. DuFour and Eaker (1998) argued that the mission of education must be to ensure that all students learn at high levels and that this mission requires educators to shift from working in isolation to working collaboratively. The PLC represents this cultural shift, creating spaces where educators share goals, reflect on practices, and hold each other accountable to continuous improvement. Hord (2004) outlined the key dimensions of successful PLCs as supportive leadership, a shared vision, collective learning, peer collaboration, and a focus on results. These dimensions align with empirical findings that collaboration correlates strongly with teacher innovation and improved student achievement (Vescio, Ross, & Adams, 2008). Despite this foundation, implementation often falters. Many schools adopt the label of PLC without the structural or cultural supports needed for sustainability. Stoll, Bolam, McMahon, Wallace, and Thomas (2006) note that PLCs sometimes exist in name only, lacking authentic collaboration or the conditions required for trust and inquiry.
A major challenge is the overemphasis on standardized test scores at the expense of broader educational goals such as equity, critical thinking, and student well-being (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012). Teachers frequently report that PLCs become spaces for administrative updates rather than professional learning. Time constraints, lack of psychological safety, and fragmented structures compound the issue. When PLCs are organized strictly by grade level or subject area, opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration diminish, leaving educators without the capacity to address complex cross-cutting issues such as literacy, technology integration, or diversity. As a result, PLCs risk being seen as redundant rather than transformative. To overcome these barriers, schools must broaden participation and bring new forms of expertise into PLCs. The inclusion of librarians offers precisely this opportunity.
School librarians hold a unique position within the educational ecosystem. Unlike classroom teachers who typically specialize in a single grade or subject, librarians serve the entire school community, often spanning grade levels, disciplines, and even campuses. Their preparation in information science, pedagogy, and technology equips them with a versatile skill set that aligns closely with the needs of PLCs. According to the American Association of School Librarians (2018), the work of librarians includes curating diverse collections, teaching information literacy, supporting technology integration, and collaborating with teachers to design meaningful instruction. These roles directly intersect with the goals of PLCs and can address many of the barriers that hinder their success.
When librarians join PLCs, they bring expertise that enhances resource sharing, expands inquiry, and strengthens critical thinking across disciplines. They can connect teachers who may otherwise remain siloed, facilitating interdisciplinary projects that broaden student learning. Their role as champions of equity ensures that instructional materials reflect diverse voices and meet the needs of all learners. Moreover, librarians embody the ethos of lifelong learning, modeling curiosity and adaptability as they engage with emerging technologies and evolving pedagogical trends. Research consistently demonstrates the impact of strong library programs on student achievement. Lance and Kachel (2018) found that schools with robust library programs, especially those where librarians collaborated actively with teachers, had higher student performance outcomes. In this sense, embedding librarians in PLCs is not only efficient but also essential for fostering equity and student success.
Several case studies illustrate the transformative potential of librarian–teacher collaborations within PLCs. In one suburban middle school in the Northeast, a librarian joined a PLC of English and social studies teachers who were designing an inquiry-based unit on civil rights. The librarian curated primary sources, provided instruction on evaluating digital archives, and co-taught lessons on source analysis. The PLC shifted its focus from rigid pacing guides to authentic inquiry, and students produced richer historical arguments with stronger evidence. Teachers noted that the librarian’s contributions not only deepened the learning experience but also reduced their planning workload. In another example from an urban elementary school, a librarian collaborated with grade-level PLCs to address challenges in aligning literacy instruction. By analyzing circulation data, the librarian identified gaps in student reading habits and introduced diverse texts that reinforced phonics and comprehension strategies. This integration of library resources into classroom instruction fostered a culture of reading that extended beyond literacy blocks, and student engagement and reading scores improved. At a high school in the Midwest, a PLC focused on college readiness partnered with the librarian to build a school-wide digital literacy initiative. The librarian led professional development on evaluating online sources, understanding misinformation, and using citation tools. Teachers across subject areas embedded these practices into assignments, creating consistency in students’ research experiences and elevating the PLC from isolated subject-level discussions to a unified school-wide initiative.
Beyond supporting instruction, librarians enhance PLCs by advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. Bishop’s (1990) concept of books as “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” emphasizes the importance of diverse collections that reflect student identities and broaden perspectives. Librarians curate these collections and bring them into the work of PLCs, ensuring that lesson plans include materials that validate all students’ experiences while fostering empathy and cultural awareness. In addition, librarians support accessibility by advocating for universal design for learning principles, providing assistive technologies, and ensuring compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These efforts ensure that PLCs move beyond narrow accountability metrics to embrace inclusive and holistic student development (Meyer, Rose, & Gordon, 2014).
The inclusion of librarians in PLCs also has profound implications for teacher well-being and professional growth. Collaboration has been shown to mitigate teacher isolation and burnout (Ronfeldt, Farmer, McQueen, & Grissom, 2015). Librarians provide both practical and emotional support, offering guidance on technology integration, research design, and resource management. Their presence in PLCs reduces teacher workload by sharing the responsibility of lesson design and co-teaching, while also infusing discussions with creativity and fresh ideas. The librarian’s role as an innovator keeps PLCs dynamic and relevant, helping to prevent stagnation and disengagement. This is particularly critical in the current climate of teacher shortages and increasing stress.
Building sustainable PLCs that fully integrate librarians requires intentional planning and systemic support. Administrators must recognize librarians as instructional partners and provide them with the time and resources needed to participate meaningfully. Teachers and librarians should co-create goals that align library resources with curricular standards to ensure relevance and buy-in. Professional development opportunities should focus on fostering collaborative skills and interdisciplinary practices. Documentation and reflection are essential for maintaining momentum, as PLCs that record their progress and outcomes create a cycle of improvement. Celebrating the successes of librarian–teacher collaborations reinforces their value and builds a culture of collaboration across the school. These strategies align with broader theories of organizational change, which emphasize distributed leadership and collective efficacy as drivers of lasting improvement (Bandura, 1997; Fullan, 2014).
In conclusion, professional learning communities have the potential to transform education, but their effectiveness depends on authentic collaboration and sustained commitment. Librarians offer precisely the kind of expertise and cross-disciplinary perspective that PLCs need to thrive. By contributing to inquiry, equity, resource curation, and teacher support, librarians revitalize PLCs and turn them into true communities of practice. The case studies presented here demonstrate the impact of these collaborations on both student outcomes and teacher well-being. As schools prepare students for the demands of the twenty-first century, integrating librarians into PLCs should not be viewed as optional but as essential. When librarians and teachers work together, PLCs move beyond compliance and become genuine engines of professional creativity, equity, and innovation, ensuring that educators and students alike flourish in an increasingly complex world.
References
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